I've been to a winter test for the past few years in Barcelona but would like a change so am thinking of going to Jerez for 2013. The problem is I can find very little info about the level of access Jerez offers; I've seen online that apparently the circuit offer a general grandstand ticket and a VIP ticket (the latter of which was €20 a day in 2011) but what does VIP get you that grandstand doesn't?

I've been to a winter test for the past few years in Barcelona but would like a change so am thinking of going to Jerez for 2013. The problem is I can find very little info about the level of access Jerez offers; I've seen online that apparently the circuit offer a general grandstand ticket and a VIP ticket (the latter of which was €20 a day in 2011) but what does VIP get you that grandstand doesn't?

Any advice or info would be much appreciated.

Went to Jerez in 09 (both preseason & post season rookie) & in 2010. Think it was introduced in 2010 but the "VIP" ticket gets you access to pretty much all the circuit, a normal one gets you only around the end of the circuit, from around "Angel Nieto" to the grandstand around "Enzo Ferrari". It is probably worth the extra money for the VIP. Rain is pretty common and with the standard ticket cover is very limited and it can get pretty rammed around that section too.

I'd recommend going to Jerez, its got some good viewing spots (Inside of the 1st few corners in particular, although we got kicked out of there when some people started standing in one of the escape roads) and its nice to just watch the cars without worrying who's doing what. However don't expect much in terms of facilities, food is plentiful but basic whereas toilets are not! Also, there is usually a few idiots who boo/jeer when Hamilton comes past which is fine but i've heard several "Negro" something, something shouted. I don't think thats a compliment.

Thought the whole idea was to head to places where there was a higher chance of good weather.

And you are right but there's also the economic factor. If you want to stay in Europe, southern countries are the obvious choice and amongst them Jerez is quite cheap for a F1 track. I imagine keeping the same tracks for testing could also be useful for comparison purposes.

Thought the whole idea was to head to places where there was a higher chance of good weather.

Its hard to think where else you could test thats in europe and known as a testing circuit to the teams. I'm kind of surprised they don't just test purely at Barcelona, since thats probably more relevant than Jerez which is a little bit mickey mousey by comparison.

Dunno where else they could go. They need to stay in Europe for the majority of the pre-season tests. The factories(headquarters, resources, sims) need to be within reach. They need more than one type of track to test on, for all the obvious reasons. They cannot go more south than that. The risk of unsuitable weather is the lowest there. I agree it is still too high, but what would be the alternative? Middle-east. Logistics problems, a time-lag(however smal) to manage, and if something goes wrong, an extra day to wait for spares. Not to speak of the extra costs. Top teams could go with that, but small budget teams cannot manage it, wich leads to further friction.

On another note I think they should be allowed to test with 2 cars. With such a limited test schedule these days I can't see the point of only using one car. In the scheme of things the cost savings will be minimal.

On another note I think they should be allowed to test with 2 cars. With such a limited test schedule these days I can't see the point of only using one car. In the scheme of things the cost savings will be minimal.

That I still cannot understand, for some years now. I mean the 1 car/test rule. Which dumbass came up with the idea I cannot fathom really, when there is a test restriction, they only have the pre-season tests to work at, and not even a spare car is allowed, let alone 2 cars to run. So dumb it hurts. Not to speak of the drivers, who get half the milage they should. A rookie goes into the season with half the mileage he should in all fairness.

Went to Jerez the last two years, and didn't have a drop of rain... so it's not a given and still a decent choice for the teams. Don't think I'll be going this year (it cost me a lot last year and I'd rather save the money this time) but had great fun the last two years.

I didn't hear any 'negro' stuff for Lewis, but in 2011 I was sat near a guy that made rude gestures every time Michael Schumacher came past (this was down at Dry Sac, so he could've been referencing 1997), with kids sat near by... it was a bit intense just for testing! The Alonso fans make for a great atmosphere though, and Fernando always waves for them on his reconnaissance laps.

Like olliek mentions though, the facilities aren't exactly great (make sure to stock up on snacks etc beforehand) and the only way back to town is by taxi (if you're not driving yourself) which aren't always reliable (last time when I was in the paddock with Caterham, I was waiting nearly an hour for a taxi which I had to ring for 3 times!) and can cost a bit unless you find a driver who is a willing negotiator and stick with him for the rest of the week.

The VIP tickets only got you pit straight access last year, and the circuit didn't open up the whole perimeter like they did the year before, so you were confined to the chicane section. Luckily because I'd wangled an afternoon's paddock access from Caterham I got some other views, but the other days it was the pits and the back section.

That I still cannot understand, for some years now. I mean the 1 car/test rule. Which dumbass came up with the idea I cannot fathom really, when there is a test restriction, they only have the pre-season tests to work at, and not even a spare car is allowed, let alone 2 cars to run. So dumb it hurts. Not to speak of the drivers, who get half the milage they should. A rookie goes into the season with half the mileage he should in all fairness.

Think the rule actually came in when there was unlimited testing. Didn't like it then and it makes even less sense now.

Went to Jerez in 09 (both preseason & post season rookie) & in 2010. Think it was introduced in 2010 but the "VIP" ticket gets you access to pretty much all the circuit, a normal one gets you only around the end of the circuit, from around "Angel Nieto" to the grandstand around "Enzo Ferrari". It is probably worth the extra money for the VIP. Rain is pretty common and with the standard ticket cover is very limited and it can get pretty rammed around that section too.

I'd recommend going to Jerez, its got some good viewing spots (Inside of the 1st few corners in particular, although we got kicked out of there when some people started standing in one of the escape roads) and its nice to just watch the cars without worrying who's doing what. However don't expect much in terms of facilities, food is plentiful but basic whereas toilets are not! Also, there is usually a few idiots who boo/jeer when Hamilton comes past which is fine but i've heard several "Negro" something, something shouted. I don't think thats a compliment.

Thanks for the advice, I was all set to book flights etc until...

The VIP tickets only got you pit straight access last year, and the circuit didn't open up the whole perimeter like they did the year before, so you were confined to the chicane section.

I take it no one knows what will happen for 2013 - the circuit website just says tickets will be bookable from Jan but that is leaving it late really for flights, hotels etc. I have been finding Barcelona quite arduous with the walk to and from Montmelo every day, plus if you stay in Barcelona itself it's a 45min train journey. At least then you have things to go and see and do in the evening but last year I stayed in La Llagosta and thee was very little to do in the evening except watching the Spanish version of Million Pound Drop and not understanding a single word...

Pre-season testing really annoys me in some ways - it should be a chance for the diehard fans to get close to the sport. All the hotels around Circuit de Catalunya are either fully booked or massively overpriced because teams and sponsors book them out before the dates are released to the fans, so as I've already said there is the choice of a nearby sleepy town or a commute from the centre of Barca. The chance of seeing a driver is zero (unless they stop on track and then they get whisked away by car within a couple of minutes) and I'm sure a lot of people remember the Top Gear Nascar piece where even on race day the pit area was full of fans meeting drivers and really getting close to their sport (I watched it through gritted teeth honestly). A couple of times when I've been to Barcelona I've met people with paddock passes who aren't remotely interested in the sport but a friend or relative works for a sponsor - so they are just there for a free holiday.

I went to the test in Portimao back in 2009 and bought a five day paddock pass for (from memory) €70. Ok, it rained, a lot - but as others have said it is just as likely to rain at Jerez and Barca. However, when the final day was rained off totally I was invited into the Renault pit and spend most of the day there. During the five days I met several drivers (Alonso, Rosberg, Piquet, Kobayashi, Kovalainen, de la Rosa to name a few) and witnessed the launch of the Renault and Williams cars. That was proper access and yet because it rained they haven't been back, despite general acknoledgement saying it was a great circuit. I spend two weeks in Portimao exactly a year before and there wasn't a drop of rain and temps were in the early 20c each day - warmer than I've had at Barca since I've been going there.

With F1 disappearing from Europe there should be a rule that no circuit who hosts a race can host a test, maybe even no country who hosts a race. There are alternatives - Portimao (I'd be back in a shot if they went there), Imola, Paul Ricard, Estoril, Aragon, Mugello to name the easy ones. Also wasn't there a F1 circuit being built on one of the Spanish islands specifically for testing?

I think they should be allowed to test with 2 cars. With such a limited test schedule these days I can't see the point of only using one car. In the scheme of things the cost savings will be minimal.

I entirely agree, even if the second car was the previous season's. It could be used to give young drivers mileage and do direct tyre comparison work if the compunds are to keep changing every season.

It still doesn't make that much sense because say you get 500kms of testing per car per day. If you have 2 cars on the same day you're gonna do 1000kms. Even with the added cost of bringing in more staff and more car parts etc, that's going to come cheaper than booking a circuit for 2 days of testing with only 1 car for the same 1000kms.

It still doesn't make that much sense because say you get 500kms of testing per car per day. If you have 2 cars on the same day you're gonna do 1000kms. Even with the added cost of bringing in more staff and more car parts etc, that's going to come cheaper than booking a circuit for 2 days of testing with only 1 car for the same 1000kms.

I didn't mean I liked it. I never did but IIRC, the main reason was to save less funded teams the associated cost overheads that goes along with fielding 2 cars during tests. I think this was why testing days were reduced as well.

It still doesn't make that much sense because say you get 500kms of testing per car per day. If you have 2 cars on the same day you're gonna do 1000kms. Even with the added cost of bringing in more staff and more car parts etc, that's going to come cheaper than booking a circuit for 2 days of testing with only 1 car for the same 1000kms.

From reports in the past I gathered that the running costs of a second car including staff, spare parts etc. are very significant.I'm sure it's not cheaper than renting a track. Certainly not when all teams are sharing the cost of renting the track.

Can i just turn up at the circuit and buy a ticket on the day? Im going to the first test at Barcelona.

yes. and you can bring your own food/drinks. not all grandstands are open, but you can choose very good spots and can go nearly everywhere. like do a tour of the press centre (the autosports guys are always talking about this annyonace in the live text coverage).

Don't know whether this is old new now but I finally got a reply from Jerez about access for the winter tests in a fortnight. It reads as follows:

The areas that are planned to be available are VIP Grandstand and X1 Grandstand. The first one is allocated in front of the pitlane and the second one is in front of the chicane, with quite a wide sightseeing.

So it sounds like, as other people said was the case in 2012, they are not opening up the whole perimeter of the circuit for public viewing, unlike Barcelona. It's a shame as I would have liked to go down to Jerez for a change but instead I'm back to Barcelona for the fourth year in a row.

Are these test schedule confirmed? I only knew Webber confirmed he will test on 5th and 6th Feb. Would be great if you can let us know the source of information.

The source is the link in the post you quoted.

It's inSpanish, but that's the website of the Circuit of Jerez. Last year, they also published a similar table in their site, and it was mostly right. If I recall correctly, the only 'mistake' was a last minute change by a team.

It's inSpanish, but that's the website of the Circuit of Jerez. Last year, they also published a similar table in their site, and it was mostly right. If I recall correctly, the only 'mistake' was a last minute change by a team.

Thanks for the clarification, I thought the link was only for the circuit ticket information